White
by CSI1983
Summary: A blast from the past walks into Sara's life and slowly begins to destroy the world that she has so carefully made  GSR
1. Chapter 1

_A/N - I was meant to have a break from writing for a couple of days but I have failed. This story is written purely out of desperation. I finished all my essays for Uni two days ahead of myself and as I finished Second Sight, I had nothing to do. So I sat at my laptop and started typing and this is the result. So read, reveiw and if you have any information regarding CSI season eight, please tell me. I have to wait another couple of months till it gets here and I need to know if Sara dies!!!!! _

Chapter One – Past Arrival

When Sara went to the call out, she didn't expect anything more then a simple B&E. She chatted quickly to Brass before moving into the house and beginning her search of the crime scene. When she heard the voice behind her, she ignored it, chalking it up to one of the new detective graduates that had been trailing Brass lately. But when she heard it again, something in her mind registered and she felt the pounding panic in her heart.

"Sara Sidle, who would have thought I would see you around these parts?"

Sara stood and ignored the urge to run that was zipping through her legs and feet.

"Shelton Wayne. What are you doing here?"

Shelton tried to give her a charming smile, one that worked on her fifteen years ago but not now, not after all that had happened.

"I live here now"

"You're not allowed to live here, I do"

Shelton smiled again and Sara could see why he was such a magnate to most women. He had a slim body, dark brown hair and wide clear eyes. He was a charmer, always had been and probably always will be.

"Well apparently I am safe enough to be back out in normal society."

Sara gave him a hard look before bending back over and continuing her examination. She could feel his eyes looking over and she wanted nothing more then to hit him.

"You are still a fine looking girl Sara. Far too sexy to be a scientist."

"Shut up Shelton. Actually do us all a favour and leave"

"Why would I do that when I can stay here and watch you?"

"The retraining order still applies, even now"

"Well that's the great thing about having money Sara, it makes things go away"

"So if I give you some money, will you disappear?"

"I have everything I want."

"Leave Shelton, I mean it"

Shelton moved closer to her and she felt his hand run along her spine. Everything in her body told her to hit him, to do what she could to get his hand off her back.

"I said leave"

Shelton was close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheek, his words slow and slick in her ear.

"Beg for me Sara."

This time Sara didn't hold back. She stood and shoved Shelton firmly in the chest. He came at her again and on nothing more then the rage and memories that were flowing through her, pulled back her leg and kicked him in the groin. He collapsed onto the ground moaning and curling into the fetal position. Sara resumed her examination of the broken window, determined to do what she could to achieve normality. There was nothing like a flash back from the past that could make you truly appreciate the soothing affect that testing for prints gave. The smell of the powder, the smoothness of the brush and the slowly reappearing loops and swirls were helping her to breathe.

"Sara how's it – what the hell is going on here?"

Brass had just spotted the man lying on the floor and the calm CSI still examining the broken window.

"Nothing. He came at me and I did what I could to restrain him"

Brass helped Shelton get back to his feet and hobble out of the house. He was back moments later, his hands on his hips.

"Do you want to tell me what happened here?"

"I told you Brass, he came at me and I retrained him. That's all there is to it"

"There's something wrong here, I can feel it"

"Well you're wrong. Do you mind leaving me alone so I can finish my job?"

Brass moved closer to her, his face pulled into a frown.

"You're off the case Sara. I can't have you assaulting victims."

"Shelton Wayne is hardly a victim Brass"

"Either way, you need to leave"

Sara packed her case and pushed past Brass. She headed back to her truck and drove away from the house. She kept driving, having no idea where she was going or how long she would drive for but she had to escape. Everything that had happened fifteen years ago came rushing back to her and she could feel his hands on her skin and his lips pressed against hers. She didn't need this, didn't want it but she guessed that's what happened when you tried to outrun your past. Eventually it catches back up with you.

* * *

After ignoring the numerous phone calls from Grissom, she headed back to the lab to face the wind fall that she knew would come. She ducked quietly into the break room, making sure that she avoided Grissom in any way shape or form. She thought that she had succeeded until she heard his voice, angry and determined following her into the room.

"Sara!"

Sara swore under her breath and turned to face Grissom. He was furious, his face was red and his fists were clenched at his side.

"What the hell happened Sara?"

Sara turned away from him and poured herself a coffee, trying to remain calm.

"Nothing happened"

"That's a lie and you know it. You kicked a victim in the groin"

"He's not a victim"

Grissom took her by the shoulders and made her turn to face him.

"What really happened?"

"Leave it Grissom. I don't want to remember and you certainly don't need to know. Can't you just leave it?"

"No. Until you decide what you want to say about this situation, you're suspended"

"What!"

"You are suspended until further notice."

Sara dumped her coffee cup into the sink, shattering the mug into small pieces. She pushed past him and headed out of the lab, ignoring the questioning looks from the rest of the staff.

When she got home, she headed for the vodka that she had kept in the cupboard since she had stopped drinking. She had no idea why she had kept it there but she was suddenly glad that she had. She poured herself a glass and settled in front of the TV. She hated feeling like this, useless and angry. Shelton had taken so much from her and now he had come back into her life again and took away something else: her life. He had done it fifteen years ago and the memories brought a bad taste into her mouth. There was nothing she could do then and there was nothing she could do now short of telling Grissom why she had acted the way she had. Grissom already knew to much of her past and there was no reason for him to know this little fun snippet as well. She sipped at her vodka as she watched America's Most Wanted, determined to forget that events that had happened this evening.

* * *

Grissom had tried to call her three times but all he got was the answering machine. He wanted to go over to her house and talk to her but he was far too angry. Thanks to her actions at the B&E, Shelton Wayne was pressing charges not only against Sara but also against the entire lab. Grissom had already had to field calls from the mayor and a yelling match with Ecklie which had ended in the worse way possible with Grissom on the losing end of things. It had not been pretty and when Ecklie left the office, Grissom was ready to resign. He didn't need this and he hadn't wanted it. He knew that something was up with Sara, she didn't explode for no reason and for that he wanted to believe her. But what in the world had Shelton Wayne do to her to make her lash out like that? Shelton had told his side of the story claiming that all he had done was ask Sara what she was doing and she turned around and kicked him. Grissom wanted to believe him but there was no way that he would until Sara told him what had happened in that living room. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Peaceful Surrender

After two days with no communication and Grissom was sick of the silence. He had been expecting her to call him, angry and protesting about her suspension but nothing. He wasn't angry anymore, just curious as to what was going on. Not only that but he was sick of trying to defend her to Ecklie and the mayor when he had no idea what had really happened. He waited until work was finished before he headed over to her house. He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. When she did, he knew that she had not slept since her suspension. Her hair was all over the show, her eyes red and puffy her face pale and tired.

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

"Suit yourself"

Sara pushed open the door further and walked back into the living room. Grissom settled himself on the sofa and watched her, waiting for her to say something. After almost half an hour of silence, he was sick of waiting.

"What happened?"

Sara rolled her eyes at him and grinded her teeth together.

"Nothing happened? Why do people keep asking me the same thing over and over?"

"Look, I am asking not just as a friend but also as your boss. I have the mayor breathing down my back and Ecklie more then willing to throw me to the lions. I can't defend you if I have no idea what I am defending."

"I can fight my own battles Grissom."

"I know you can but this is different. Shelton Wayne is suing the entire lab for what happened. If it gets pushed through we are going to be in serious trouble."

"Well there is nothing I can do about that"

"Yes there is. I want to know what happened"

"I'm not going to tell you what happened."

Grissom stood and moved towards the front door, pausing only to throw a comment over his shoulder.

"Congratulations Sara, you just single handedly sunk the second best lab in the US. I hope that you feel proud."

He shut the door quietly and hoped that his plan would work. If there was one thing that he knew that Sara could not handle, it was guilt.

* * *

With no response from Sara, Grissom took the problem in hand and treated it like any other case. He asked Brass to do a check on Shelton Wayne, past and present. There was nothing else he could do. Brass was back to him within two hours and the thick file that he brought was crammed with information that Sara never gave. For one she and Shelton had attended the same University and for some reason he had left before he got any further then the second year of his degree. While Sara continued on with her education, Shelton disappeared until now that is.

"There are some things that I can't get hold of. Shelton's father has money up to the eyeballs and he paid the courts to make the charge disappear. I have no idea what it may be but judging by the way in which his father covered it, it can only be something serious."

Grissom thanked Brass before settling in his chair, ready for a long stay to study the file.

* * *

Sara felt lost. She remembered this sensation from when she was at University. It came when she finished her assignments early and she had nothing to do. She would wonder the dorm aimlessly, eating foods that she never should have even touched and doing what she could to kill the time. Then another assignment would come and she would have something to focus on. Except there was no assignments this time, there was just the lingering memories and guilt. It all sat heavily on her shoulders and she felt like she was drowning, nothing to anchor her or to keep her going crazy. Instead she did what she always did when she was stressed out: running. She left her iPod on the counter, she would not be needing it for this run, she had enough to think about. She pulled on her running shoes and a pair of sweats and headed out, going down the same path she always took. She never saw the stick and when she did fall, the pain was a more then welcome distraction. She pulled up the leg of her pants and examined her bleeding knee with a distinct hatred. The very thing that she could rely on had failed and she felt like a child in desperate need of a band aid and a hug.

"Sara, are you ok?"

Sara looked up and into the smiling face of Travis Rendell, one of the regular runners that she saw on the track. Their friendship never extended beyond the park and they would often sit on one of the many park benches, talking and watching the other runners pant past.

"Yeah, I'm fine Travis. Damn stick tripped me up"

He offered her his hand and pulled her up from the ground.

"Come around to my house, I have a first aid kit there"

"It's alright Travis."

Travis shook his head at her and pointed to an apartment block just across the road.

"That's where I live. It's hardly a mission to get you there."

It took a moment to decide and she followed his across the road and into his house. It was bigger then she had expected but it was nice regardless. Pictures of his pretty twin girls dotted the walls as well as pictures of his wife.

"Honey, it's me! Can you get the first aid kit for me?"

"Sure Travis, I'll be right there!"

Travis led her into a bright kitchen that was still covered with the activity of breakfast. Cereal bowls were still on the table and the newspaper lay open, only half read. Travis pulled a chair out for her and she took it as he maneuvered another seat around so that she could rest her leg on it.

"Here we go. Who's this?"

Travis's wife was a pretty woman. She was tall, with curly blonde hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in a pair of tattered jeans and a stained t-shirt.

"Aimee this is Sara, she's from the track. She fell over on a stick that someone left lying around."

"Nice to meet you Sara. Do you want a cup of coffee or anything to eat?"

"A coffee would be great thank you"

Aimee nodded and set about making some coffee. Travis opened the first aid kit before turning back to her leg and examining it with gentle hands.

"Ouch. You have actually managed to get a twig in there"

"I was born to achieve great things."

Travis smiled at her as he set about cleaning the wound with alcohol soaked swabs. He took out a pair of tweezers, squinting at her knee.

"Grit your teeth, this is going to hurt."

She did as she was told as he carefully pressed into her knee, pulling out a rather long sample of the branch. He cleaned up the last of her blood before placing a padded piece of cloth over it and wrapping it with a bandage.

"All done."

"Thanks Travis."

"Not a problem Sara. Care to tell me how you managed to fall over?"

Sara shrugged as she pulled her pant leg down, propping her head on her hands.

"I was distracted."

"Why?"

"I got suspended from work for assaulting a victim of a B&E"

Travis frowned at her and said nothing. Aimee placed two coffee mugs on the table, exchanging a look with Travis before slipping from the room.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. Grissom has been pushing at me to talk but I don't want to."

"Ok, I understand that. But if you need to talk, I'm here. I know that we're hardly best friends but at least you don't have to face me everyday. It's easy to avoid me, you just run the other way"

Sara laughed and Travis joined in.

"Now Travis, how about we talk about one of our usual track topics? How are those wonderful daughters of yours?"

"Eden and Arianna are fantastic. They just recently discovered the joy of writing on the walls."

He pointed to the wall behind him and Sara saw the childish drawing on the wall behind him, covered in wonky suns and stick figures.

"Cute. That must be fin to try and get off"

"Aimee and I talked about and decided we like it. We own the apartment so it's not too big a deal."

They chatted for a little while longer before Sara headed back home, just in time for the pretty semi dark that littered the city. She walked home, enjoying the noises of the city and the cool air as it pressed against her tired body.

* * *

When she arrived home, Grissom was waiting for her. He was leaning against her door, in his hand a thick file. He looked at her.

"We need to talk"

Sara said nothing as she moved past him and unlocked her door. She let him in and stood at the dining room table as he sat on the sofa. He opened the file and that was when the panic started in. She caught the picture of Shelton that the file contained and she had to sit down before she ran out of the room. She was tired of running from him but she had no idea what else to do.

"Why do you have Shelton Wayne's file?"

Grissom ignored her as he pulled out a single sheet of paper, reading it over before he began to speak.

"He left before he finished his degree. Why?"

"I guess he hated Uni"

"You shared some of the classes, including one of mine."

"Grissom, there were thousands of kids in and out of that room, why would I remember him?"

"I remembered you."

Sara sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"You have a steel trap for a memory"

"Sara, please sit down."

Part of her didn't want to listen but the employer instinct kicked in and she obediently sat down beside him.

"What happened? I don't want to play this game anymore and I know that you want to go back to work"

Sara crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"No I don't"

"Tell me what happened"

This was the time that she was dreading. She didn't want to tell Grissom but it was getting too much. She felt guilty for letting the lab pay for her temper and he resolve was weakening. Grissom was far more persistent then she had ever given him credit for.

"Grissom, do you remember how much trouble I was having with the bug paper that you had set us?"

"Yeah, bugs aren't exactly your forte"

"Exactly. So I put a ad up on a few billboards for a tutor. Shelton Wayne answered and he started tutoring me."

"Ok"

"He was the one who convinced me to go that that huge party that had all the cops coming around to the campus."

"I remember that one. Some many students got arrested."

"I went with Shelton and I was having a great time. I wasn't drinking, I had the paper to do and I was going to have an exam in two days. I couldn't afford to have a hang over."

"Smart"

"I started to feel dizzy and the next thing I knew, I had passed out. I woke up in Shelton's room and he was taking his clothes off."

Grissom shook his head, holding up his hand to stop her talking.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Sara was surprised to feel the tears coming to her eyes. She hadn't cried about this in so long, she thought that maybe she had done all the crying. She was wrong.

"Shelton Wayne raped me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three – Melancholy Of A Frameless Mind

Grissom had no idea how to react to that statement. What was he meant to say? Sorry?

"He raped you"

He didn't repeat it as a question but it was more to absorb the new information and try to wrap his mind around the idea that Sara had been raped. He looked at Sara again and suddenly all the anger made sense.

"So in the house?"

"He touched me. He just would not leave me alone. The restraining order is meant to keep him at least one state away from me but his father made that disappear, just like the charges that I put against him"

"So you did go to the police?"

"Not at first. Shelton's father gave me a huge cheque for $100,000. I cashed it then went and talked to the police"

Grissom could not keep the smile off his face. It sounded like a typical Sara move. Sara had her head down as she spoke, almost as if she was afraid to look at him.

"The entire Wayne family got involved in torturing me. I got calls in the middle of the night, the police stopping me for no reason and I got evicted from my apartment simply because they had power that I didn't have. One moment he was there. The next he wasn't. In order to make the charges go away, Shelton had to leave school and start a life somewhere else."

"Did the police believe you?"

"They had no choice. I had spent enough time in forensic classes to know that the worse thing you can do is give into the instinct that you have to shower. I woke up and went to the hospital and they took a kit. Shelton said that I had slept with heaps of guys that night but it was his sperm that was there. He denied it but the evidence didn't lie. He was charged but nothing ever came of it."

"Obviously. It wasn't on his record either"

"Because his father has more money then God."

Grissom reached over and took her hand in his, had he had done a few times before. She held it tightly but said nothing. She felt empty and weightless. She was half expecting to float up to the ceiling.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you Sara."

"It's not your fault."

"I know. You need to tell this to Brass or to Ecklie. They need to know what happened in that house"

"I'm not talking to Ecklie about this."

"Then talk to Brass. You need to make a statement so that Shelton has no standing in court."

"I don't want to do that Grissom"

"If you don't, you could lose your job permanently"

Sara sighed and sat back in the sofa. She had some thinking to do. It was a matter of public embarrassment versus justice. Unfortunately, in a case like this, justice didn't always win. Sara wanted to keep her privacy and she had taken on the Shelton's before and had lost. What would happen if she lost again? What price would she pay this time?

* * *

Brass was sitting behind Grissom's desk when Sara walked in and sat down. He gave her a small smile as he opened the file on the assault charges that had been laid against her and the lab.

"Sara, are you ok with this?"

"Yes"

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and began to speak, telling him everything, from the time that she had met Shelton to the assault that resulted after a chance encounter. By the end she was crying again but as with Grissom, she felt better. Brass made her a hot cup of tea and watched her carefully as she drunk.

"I believe you"

Sara smiled at him.

"You're bias"

"If I had been on the case I would have believed you and that fucker's ass would have gone to jail."

"Thanks Jim. I know that this can't have been easy for you"

"It was harder on you."

"I'll be alright Jim, I will be. I just didn't want to take the Wayne's on again. I lost everything the last time I was that silly."

"Well things are different now. If the Wayne's come down on you, we're here and they had better expect a fight to end all fights"

Sara smiled at him again. She finished her drink and went back home. She would be back at work soon enough and until then, she was going to rest.

* * *

Much to Grissom surprise, word got around too quickly that Sara had been raped. Grissom didn't tell anyone, neither did Jim but the lab grapevine was something of a miracle. No one says anything and yet somehow word still gets around. Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Greg were silent about the subject but that's how Grissom knew that the silence had been broken regarding why Sara had assaulted a victim. He handed out the cases and then came to the first hurdle of the entire sequence of events.

"I need someone to pick up the Wayne case"

The team looked at him with shocked expressions. Catherine spoke first.

"They still want us to work their case?'

"Yes. And I would be far more comfortable if one of the guys picked this up. No offense to you Cath but considering Shelton's history, I would rather you stay well away from him."

Catherine nodded.

"I'll take it."

"Me too."

Grissom nodded at Nick and Warrick, giving them the slip of paper with the case details. He watched them leave, hoping that he didn't do the wrong thing by setting them on the case. They were protective of Sara and God knows what they would do to Shelton if he stepped out of line.

* * *

Warrick and Nick moved into the house and right to work, Brass standing by the door. Shelton was with him, standing arrogantly at the door watching them carefully. Nick and Warrick collected the prints and shards of glass that had been dotted around the frame before looking the rest of the house over. The worked in silence for two hours before finally concluding that there was nothing else to conclude. They wondered back outside and Shelton smiled at them.

"Where's Sara?"

Nick paused mid-step before continuing.

"Where is Sara? I wanted to tell her something"

Brass pushed his face into Shelton's, his hand on his chest.

"You shut up about Sara. I mean it"

Shelton smiled widely at him.

"Has someone become a little jealous about Sara and me?"

Brass moved forward again but this time Nick and Warrick were with him. They pretended not to notice when Brass cuffed Shelton, pressing his face hard into the dirt.

"Did you guys see that? Assaulting an officer is against the law. You know that right Wayne?"

Shelton laughed on the ground, Brass's knee in his back making him cough. Nick and Warrick pulled him up and shoved him into the back of the car, kicking and pushing him along the way.

"I want nothing more then to kick that Shelton kid's ass."

"It would do no good to have you suspended as well"

Brass smiled widely at the pair.

"It would have been worth it. The easiest suspension that I ever would have received."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - I checked and double checked everything but this is the right chapter. Fanfiction seems to be having technical issues, so i have no idea what happened in the posting of chapter of 'Second Sight'. Read, enjoy and reveiw!_

Chapter Four – Devil's Reject

The charge didn't stick but Brass was hardly expecting it to. He got into trouble with his own supervisor but that was nothing new to Brass. He had been in trouble plenty of times for doing things that should have been done but never were. Shelton has smiled widely at him as he left the cell guided by his father. Brass had always found people like Shelton perplexing. He was the same age as Sara and yet he still relied on his father for everything. He had been spoon feed all his life and he plainly expected it to continue. Brass however, had decided that it was to be his personal mission to make that as hard as possible. He knew that Sara could look after herself, there was no question about it but this was different. This man had hurt her and then instead of leaving her be as he should have, he came back into her life, presuming that enough time had passed and money exchanged, to erase the memory of what he had done. Brass was not a man who held grudges but in this case, he was more then willing to make an exception to that life long rule. Shelton Wayne was trouble and the sooner he was out of his city, the better he would be.

* * *

Nothing felt right in her world anymore. Even though, technically anyway, she was no longer suspended, Ecklie had still put her on 'mental health days'. Sara didn't see the point in this because she would be mad by the time she did finally get back to work. Either way, it was going to be the longest two weeks of her life. After all, there was only so much TV watching that an intelligent person could do. She decided, that like the little old woman that she felt like, to take an afternoon nap. She was just starting to drift off when her phone rang, the silence disturbed by the shrilling. 

"Sidle"

"Sara, how nice to hear your voice."

Sara resisted the urge to slam the phone down, knowing full well that this would do nothing to discourage Shelton. It also seemed vastly immature, all things considered.

"What do you want?"

"To talk to you"

"You are, so what else do you want?"

"I want to see you. Two old friends meeting up again"

"We were never friends Shelton. You raped me"

"So you say. After all, you used to sleep around a lot in school, or did you forget that little fact?"

Sara sighed and pushed the memories that threatened to overwhelm her aside. She had hardly been as angel in college, she knew that. The fact was that like most kids, she went crazy with the freedom that college offered but it scared her that Shelton knew that.

"Do you really think that this is a good way to get me to talk to you?"

"So will you talk to me?"

"Why?"

"Because if you want me to go away, you need to do as I say. You have friends in high places but the people I know reach Heaven. I can make your life hell Sara, and you know it. Meet me or none of your friends will be able to help you"

The idea of meeting Shelton frightened her. The last time she had been truly alone with him, he had raped her. She wanted him to go away and that was why she had to meet him.

"Fine. Where?"

"My place."

"No, somewhere public. I'm not that stupid"

"I choose Sara. We are playing by my rules now."

"Fine"

"And don't bring your gun. I heard you were a little trigger happy. I'll see you in two hours."

He hung up the phone and Sara did the same, feeling numb everywhere. She knew that this could only be a bad thing but she wanted him gone. If the only way for that to happen was to meet him, then that's what she would do. She wasn't a frightened little kid anymore and she could take care of herself, had faced men bigger and scarier then Shelton Wayne, if she could handle murderers, child molesters and everything in between, the she could handle this.

* * *

His house was quite and Sara felt cold even though the sun was beating down hard and fast. She wore a pair of loose jeans and a baggy shirt, not wanting to give him anything to look at. She walked the slowest she could but still arrived at the front door faster then she wanted too. She didn't even get a chance to knock before the door swung open, Shelton's smile making her stomach turn. 

"Sara, please come in"

Sara said nothing as she slipped through the door, jumping slightly when he placed his hand at the small of her back. She had stepped willingly into the bear's den and as she sat on the sofa, she realized that even if she wanted too, there was no way to escape. She watched as he paid out a platter of cheese and crackers, the glint of metal from the knife decorating the wall.

"So why did you want me here Shelton?"

"I wanted to see you Sara. You have no idea how much I have missed you over the years."

Sara shook her head at him and gave him a hard look.

"Get on with whatever you have planned because I need to get home at some point."

Shelton handed her the knife and she cut through the cheese, placing it on a cracker. She didn't realize just how hungry she was until now. She could feel his eyes on her as she ate. This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

Sara was bored out of her mind. She had read almost all of the books that were lined on her shelf and has watched every movie on cable at least three times. She wanted to go back to work. When the call came later in the evening from Grissom, her hopes were up for a moment, maybe just maybe, he would say that she could go back, that her mental health was back to where it was meant to be. 

"Hey Grissom."

"Sara, Brass is on his way to pick you up"

"Why?"

"Shelton was murdered"

Sara waited for the pang of sympathy that she felt, regardless of who the victim was, but nothing came and she was not surprised.

"So why is Brass picking me up?"

"Because you were the last person to see him alive"

She was about to respond when there was a loud knock on the door. She placed the phone back on the hook and opened the door. Brass frowned at her, his eyes on the ground.

"Sara, you need to come with me"

"I know"

She followed him back downstairs and into the police car that was waiting for them on the side of the street.

* * *

Grissom looked at her in a way he had never looked at her before, with suspicion. 

"You were there Sara."

"And I've already told you why I was there. Shelton threatened me."

"You should have called the police."

"Well I didn't. Why did you want me here? I gave Brass my statement and it's been three hours."

Grissom sighed and sat back in his chair.

"You're a suspect"

Sara felt dizzy, the vomit rising in her throat. Grissom ignored her obvious distress and continued talking.

"Your prints were found on the blade of the knife, your hair and saliva were also at the scene."

He looked down at her hands and at the bandage that sat there.

"What happened to your hand?"

"I sliced it open when I was making dinner last night"

Grissom shook his head at her.

"I can't do anything about this Sara. It fits."

"What about when Nick was accused of murder? He was cleared and his DNA was all over the scene"

"This is different. We have your prints on the murder weapon."

"He was stabbed?"

Grissom nodded

"With a cheese knife. Not the best way to go. Not only that Sara but your hand has been cut. I don't suppose you have an alibi or anyone saw you leave the house?"

"No to both questions. If you arrest me Grissom, my career is over"

Grissom dropped the interrogation face for a moment, allowing Sara to see the truth. He was concerned but it wasn't alone, there was doubt mixed with that concern.

"I know that. I am doing my job here Sara. There is too much evidence against you."

"Some one framed me"

"Who?"

"You tell me! Shelton's parents have more money then God. Anything could have happened"

"Sara, there is nothing I can do, my hands are tied."

Sara glanced around the room, her face coming back to her in the reflective glass that covered one side of it.

"Is anyone listening?"

"No. I wanted to do this alone."

Sara turned back to Grissom, her face pulled into a frown.

"Let me go"

"Sara-"

"Let me go Grissom! I need to find out who did this to me and I can't do that behind bars!"

"If I let you go, I could be arrested."

"But you won't get fired and lose everything"

Grissom looked at her, studying her hard.

"I'm going to get a coffee."

He paused at the door before turning to face her.

"I'm sorry Sara."

"I'm innocent Grissom, you know that right?"

He said nothing as he turned and left the room. Sara took a deep breath and stood, opening the door quietly. There was no one in the hall and she could hear the faint sounds of the lab as they traveled off the walls. She slipped out of the room and began to run. She had to find out who did this to her. She knew that Brass and Grissom would stall all they could but eventually, they would have to make a move. She had to make sure that she was as far from them as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – Rage Against The Machine

Sara packed as much stuff as she could into her back pack before leaving her apartment. She had no idea when she would be back there again. If this continued, she may never be back. She left her car and hailed a cab instead, harder for anyone to trace her that way. She needed somewhere to go, somewhere they would never connect her with. She paid the driver and got out seven blocks from her place and took a seat at the bus stop. She had no idea where she was going but she had to keep moving, had to make sure that they would be unable to trace wherever she was going. The bus trip was a relief in some way. She could stop to think but she didn't know what to think. Grissom didn't believe her and even though she was unsure how the rest of the team thought, Grissom's doubt was more then enough to make her certain they that would feel the same way. If a man who had known her half her life could doubt, then others would too. She needed to know who had done this and why. Who would kill Shelton and try to frame her for it? It took her until the end of the bus ride before she finally decided where she was headed. When she got there, she stood outside for a little while. Was he someone she could trust? Would he bail her out of a situation where he should not be involved?

"Sara?"

Hank had spotted her from the window and had come outside to see her. She opened her mouth to explain in some way what was going on, but nothing came.

"Sara? What's wrong? Why are you here?"

Sara looked in his eyes and wondered if she could truly trust him. He had proved her wrong before and this was the one time that she could not afford to be wrong.

"I've been accused of murder"

He looked her over, as if trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not. His face softened and he put his hands in his pockets.

"Did you murder someone?"

"No"

He waited a beat before smiling widely at her.

"That's enough for me."

"I need to hide out somewhere. You were the first person I thought of."

"I'm flattered."

"Just so you know, I ran out on the cops."

"So you're a fugitive?"

"Not really. Grissom let me go but he thinks I'm guilty."

"I always disliked that guy. Let's get you inside and fed, shall we?"

He put an arm around her and led her into the house that she had been in so many times before. She relaxed against his arm and for a moment forgot everything that had happened and everything that he had done to her. He was her safe haven now and she had no room for doubt.

* * *

"YOU LET HER GO! A SUSPECT IN AN ONGOING MURDER INVESTIGATION JUST WALKED OUT THE DOOR AND YOU DID NOTHING?"

Grissom felt sorry for the security guard that was coping it from Ecklie, his mutterings of self defense disregarded as Ecklie went on his rampage.

"She works here Mr. Ecklie! I just gave her a smile and opened the door for her! How was I to know that she was in trouble?"

"She was running you idiot! Did that no give you enough of a hint?"

"Miss. Sidle is a jogger, I thought nothing of it"

Ecklie let out a wheezy puff of air into the mans face before turning away from him and towards Grissom. He waited for the barricade of insults and threats that an action like this was bound to have but nothing came.

"In my office, now"

The words were quiet, almost whispered and Grissom knew that his moment of weakness towards Sara was going to cost him dearly. He should have kept her in that room, should have allowed her to be arrested. After all, she was guilty, wasn't she? He had lived so long with the belief that the evidence is what you follow, nothing else. The evidence was stacked against Sara and yet he felt a pang of something he could not identify. He justified his feelings, saying that if she was guilty, they would catch her soon enough. If she was innocent then she would find that people who did this to her and he would have some serious apologizing to do.

"Take a seat Grissom"

Grissom did as he was told, sitting across from the red Ecklie.

"You let her go"

Ecklie's statement was not wrong, so Grissom said nothing.

"Are you going to defend your actions or do I have to use my imagination to fill in the gaps?"

"I went to get coffee. I did nothing more"

"You insisted on doing the interview alone. Why?"

"Because she is my CSI and I felt that there was no need to be others to view her guilt."

"So you believe that she is indeed guilty?"

"You and I both know that in this job you follow that evidence and it led to her."

"Believe her or not Grissom, that's what I am asking"

"I'm not sure."

"Well I know what I believe and I find it hard to trust your instincts since you have a more personal investment in Sidle then I do"

Grissom narrowed his eyes at him, this was breaching into private territory.

"What do you mean by personal investment?"

Ecklie smiled at him, a wide arrogant smile that made Grissom want to slam it down his throat.

"You know what I mean Grissom. Everyone knows what I mean. You hardly keep your interest in her quiet, do you?"

"Ecklie, you need to back off! Sara escaped from my custody and you have no one to blame except me."

"So you are taking full responsibility?"

"Yes"

"Then you can go home. You're suspended until further notice."

Grissom stood and left the room, saying nothing as he headed to the break room. He needed coffee, he needed a friendly face, he needed….something. The rest of the team were sitting quietly, nursing their cups of coffee. They all looked up as he entered the room, small frowns on their faces.

"Grissom, what's going on?"

"What do you mean Greg? You already know what's going on"

"I mean with Sara"

Grissom took his time answering, pouring a coffee and taking a seat next to Catherine.

"She's gone."

Catherine frowned at him.

"Gone?"

"She escaped custody."

Catherine smiled widely and it was catching because soon all of the team were wearing the grins, except Grissom.

"Good on her. She's innocent Grissom, you know that right?"

"The evidence-"

"The evidence is easy to move and replace now days Gil. People have caught up with the technology. The evidence that we found, that you found could be nothing more then a red herring."

"She was guilty until proven otherwise"

Catherine stood and threw him a hard look.

"Good to know that you have confidence in Sara Grissom. I hope that I never get accused of murder and have you on the case"

She walked out the room and for a moment Grissom thought that maybe the others were going to see his point of view. Maybe he was not alone in his doubt. But he was wrong. They all followed Catherine out of the room, silently and united in the belief that Sara was innocent. Grissom wished that he could have that luxury. For too many years he had invested in the belief that evidence was evidence, anything else was a distraction. Instead he had lost the support of his team and had sold Sara up the river. If she was indeed innocent that is. If she was guilty, then he would do nothing to help her and do everything in his power to ensure that she was arrested for murder.

* * *

Hank watched her the entire night but she was not sure whether it was borne of concern for her or concern of what she will do. He had his doubt and she would not like him if he had simply taken her word for it without thinking twice. He made her a sandwich and gave her a soda, sitting next to her with his own. He didn't question her or ask for details, he just let her eat and rest. It was only some time later when she had had a nap and reemerged groggy from his room that he began to question her.

"Who did you kill?"

"Shelton Wayne. Did I ever tell you about him?"

"No."

"He raped me in college."

"So you have a motive?"

Perhaps it was because Hank was the only one in the world who had the possibility of believing her that she had a desperate need for him to believe her, to believe her side. She sat down beside him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"I'm innocent Hank. I need you to believe that"

Hank gave her a small smile as he looked down at their hands.

"I remember when we used to hold hands like this"

Sara smiled back.

"I know."

Hank looked her in the eye, his face suddenly sad.

"I never meant to hurt you Sara. Things were a mess and I didn't know how to deal with it"

"That's water under the bridge Hank, ok? We can be friends, can't we?"

Hank nodded.

"I know that you're innocent Sara, I know you are. I've seen you lose your temper and it's scary but I don't believe that you are truly incapable of hurting someone, let alone killing them."

"Thank you"

"Not a problem. Now should we watch a movie? I know that you have a lot to do but you need to use this time to get your head around this situation"

"Good idea. You pick"

Hank shuffled through his collection before extracting one from the pile.

"I believe that The Day After Tomorrow is one of your favorites?"

"That it is"

"Well then, how about we watch the destruction of earth from the comfort of our living room, shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six – Naked And Raw

It was during the night when she felt the worse then she had felt in a very long time. She was so alone and she was certain that at some point during the night her heart had broken. She was so frightened that her skin crawled with creatures that were eating whatever courage that she had left. She crawled out of bed and headed to Hank's room. She didn't intended to do anything she just wanted some form of human contact. She slipped into the bed beside him and with her movement he woke up and looked her over.

"Sara are you ok?"

She nodded as she pressed her body to his, her face landing on his chest. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. She finally fell asleep, Hank's smell, familiar and yet now foreign to her, filling her nostrils and comforting her.

* * *

The next morning, alone and nursing her cup of coffee, Sara formulated a plan. She really didn't know where to start and she beginning to become far to relaxed with the sun beating on her back from the open window. Where to start? She wondered if she should risk someone off of her team. If they did indeed all feel that she was guilty, they would all be willing to have her brought in. But if they thought that she was innocent she could have a chance. She looked at her cell phone for a second before picking it up and dialing the number that she considered the safest.

"Willows"

"Call me back if you think I'm innocent"

She hung up quickly and waited, watching the minutes pass by. Just when she thought she may have to try Nick, Warrick or even Greg, her phone chirped cheerfully on the table. She picked it up, taking a deep breath.

"Hey Catherine"

"Sara, are you ok?"

"I'm fine but I need some help"

"Not a problem. And just if you haven't figured out by the returning of your phone call, I know that you're innocent Sara."

"Grissom doesn't"

"Gil Grissom is a fool. The sensible people who you work with know that truth, evidence or not. I'm afraid the fool has too many years working with evidence, nothing else, that's all he knows."

"Thank you Catherine"

"Don't mention it. What do you need?"

"A place to start. I need to find out who killed Shelton"

"Hold on a second, someone's coming"

Sara could hear a murmur of voices before Catherine came back onto the line, sounding breathless.

"Ecklie. He wants to know how the Wayne's case is going. Let me track down the case file. So where are you staying?"

Sara said nothing and she could hear the laughter traveling up the phone line.

"Sorry, silly question. Are you safe?"

"As safe as I could be"

"Good. Right, here's the file. Aside from you, we have two other suspects. They were never really checked out because Grissom thought that he had it with you"

"Who are they?"

"Got a pen and paper?'

"Yup"

"Good. Christopher Stallon and Gregory Fisher"

"Motives?"

"Shelton destroyed Stallon's car sale company. He had an affair with Mrs. Fisher and Gregory said that he would kill him"

"Good motives"

"Very good motives. Do you want their addresses?"

"Yes please"

Catherine gave them to her what she needed and when she finished speaking, she paused for a moment before continuing.

"You're not going to do anything stupid are you Sara?"

"I'll try not too. But I need to know what's going on"

"I know. I'll be here if you need me ok? Do what you did today to call me otherwise they'll be able to track you. Call me and let it ring once, I know it's you"

"Thanks Cath"

"No worries, stay safe though."

"I will"

"Bye"

"Bye"

Sara hung up the phone and looked at the names that Catherine had given her. She had a place to start, which of course was better then no place at all. Sara grabbed her backpack, keys and cell phone. She hovered for a moment over the pad before jotting a quick note to Hank. He would be worried when he woke up and she was missing

_Hank,_

_Gone to do a little fishing. I'll call in a couple of hours._

_SS_

She stuck the note onto the kettle where she knew that he would see it and headed out the door.

* * *

Gregory Fisher was a big man. For a moment, Sara doubted the intelligence that came with investigating something alone, being all but naked when she approached the suspect was a nerve racking experience. The size of the suspect didn't help either. He towered over Sara, his hair floppy and covering bright green eyes.

"Hello."

"Hi, are you Mr. Fisher?"

"Yes, why?"

"I wanted to ask you some questions"

"About what?"

"Shelton Wayne"

Gregory Fisher's face fell and he dropped the hammer that he was using onto the ground before putting his hands on his hips.

"What has that fucker done now?"

"He was murdered."

Far from being upset with Sara's announcement, Gregory started to laugh. Large tears were rolling down his cheeks and he was doubled over as he gasped for breath. When he finally got himself together he gave Sara a hard look.

"Before you sit there thinking that I am insensitive when it comes to murder, I want you to know that he ruined my life. He deserved all that he got."

"What did he do?"

Gregory bent over and grabbed two beers from the red chilly bin that sat beside the car that he had been working on, handing one to Sara. He pulled up a couple of old wooden trays and took a seat, nodding towards the other one and Sara sat down.

"I was married for eighteen years to Jean. We had three beautiful girls and we were happy. Then one day, three years ago today in fact, my older daughter, Melissa was killed in a car accident."

"God, I'm sorry"

"Thank you. Anyway, our lives fell apart and I lost my job. I took a loan out with Shelton's father and one day he came to collect what was owed and saw Jean. Now don't get me wrong Jean was a stunning woman but after eighteen years of marriage, I stopped noticing the way that she could still turn heads. But this was different."

"How so?"

"Shelton became obsessed with Jean. He followed her and came around when I wasn't home. The next thing I know, she's gone from hating him to singing his praises. Then I came home and found them in bed together. That was the end of my marriage and whatever chance I ever had of a happy ending"

Sara sipped her beer and watched as a dog with a new litter of pups went tumbling past.

"What's your name anyway? You knew mine but I didn't catch yours."

Sara gave him a small smile.

"Because I didn't throw it. Catherine Willows"

Sara was quite surprised how easily the lie slipped off her tongue but it did. At least if Gregory called the lab to find out what happened, Catherine, the real Catherine, would be able to cover her back.

"Catherine Willows, it's nice to meet you, even under these circumstances."

"You too. I still need to ask you a few things about Shelton's death"

"I'm a suspect, aren't I?"

"Yes. You have a motive Gregory, you threatened to kill him"

"I almost did. When was he killed?"

"Almost two days ago"

"I was bowling all day with some of my friends."

"I need their names"

"Do you have some paper on you?"

Sara nodded and handed him the notepad that she had brought with her. She watched as Gregory wrote furiously, producing a list of about twelve names and with those, phone numbers for her to call.

"Will that do?"

"Perfect."

"Do the police honestly think that I could do something like this?"

The fear in the big man's voice made Sara feel a tug of sympathy for him in the pit of her stomach. If he was as innocent as he claimed to be, he was just as much a victim in all this as Sara was. He was being suspected of something that he didn't do and Sara knew exactly how that felt.

"I'm telling the truth Catherine, you'll find nothing on me. I had a motive but it does not mean that I would actually commit murder"

Sara kept her eyes locked on the sky when she answered.

"I know how it feels to be accused of something that you didn't do"

"I know. I heard about you on the police scanner. You hardly look like someone I would be scared of"

"But you let me question you anyway?"

"If you are innocent of this, then I have every reason to trust you, don't I? I knew you were lying anyway"

"How?"

"You don't look like a Catherine Willows."

Sara smiled at Gregory before they fell back into silence, watching the sky and sipping their beers.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven – Grace Is Gone

Catherine tried to halt the smile on her face but it didn't work. It made her feel better knowing that Sara was safe and sound. She didn't feel one iota of guilt over telling Sara the very limited suspect list after all she knew that Sara was innocent. Sara was hardly her best friend but Catherine liked to think that she was a good judge of character. While Sara could lose her temper, she was more likely to take the verbal route rather then the physical. Catherine was telling Warrick, after swearing him to secrecy of course, what had happened with Sara when Grissom walked into the room. Catherine had a mild flashback of high school when the conversation ceased as soon as they saw him. He lowered his eyes to the ground and poured himself a coffee, leaving as quickly as he had arrived. And Catherine was grateful for it.

"Maybe we should give him a break"

Catherine was surprised by Warrick's comment, instantly taking the defensive.

"He thinks that Sara murdered someone! Give me one good reason why we should do him any favours when he's not doing anything to help Sara"

"He was taught to follow the evidence. He doesn't know any better."

"Yes he does! He is a fully grown man capable of making his own choices! The whole 'You have to follow the evidence' speech is just so he looks good. He knows the truth but he's not willing to admit that the evidence may just be wrong"

"Her prints were on the knife Cath."

Catherine stood and crossed her arms over her chest, horrified at what she was hearing.

"So you think that Sara is capable of committing murder?"

"Anyone is, you and I included."

Catherine made a move to leave the room but paused long enough to throw one last comment over her shoulder.

"If she did commit that murder, she knows how to cover it up Warrick. Any one of us could get away with the perfect crime. You're telling me that Sara Sidle, little Miss Perfectionist, simply forgot to cover her tracks so that this wouldn't happen?"

Catherine glared at him one last time before storming down the hall and back into her office. She sat down in her seat and fished her phone from her pocket, placing it front and center on the desk. She continued to watch it long after the other staff had departed home.

* * *

Sara had done the rounds and had discovered quickly that the list Catherine had given her would not take her closer to the killer. In fact it had taken her nowhere in an awful hurry. She had decided to call it a day when she had almost gotten spotted by the police that were driving around her neighborhood. She was not normally a paranoid person but she was fairly certain that they were keeping an eye out for her. She had driven the back roads back to Hank's house and managed to avoid the attention of the law enforcement. Feeling dejected and hunted, she finally got home and collapsed on the couch. Hank was out she presumed that he had work. When they were going out together, his hours were as crazy as hers but they still managed to make it work, grabbing a few hours together here and there. For a split second, she wondered if maybe he as in the police station spilling her secret to them. She thought about it for a while before dismissing the idea entirely. Hank believed her, didn't he? She had never lied to him before and even though he had broken her heart, she was still willing to put her trust in him; after all she had no other choice, did she? The one person who she thought would believe her was Grissom and he had driven that idea out of her mind with astounding speed. He dismissed her claim of innocence with the carelessness that he had dismissed her offer of dinner. It broke her heart that a man that she admired so much could do that to her.

When her phone began to vibrate, she glanced at the screen, realizing that it was Catherine.

"Hi"

"Sara, its Grissom."

She considered hanging up the phone, she really did. But her fingers had become frozen and unable to do anything other then hold the phone to her ear.

"You shouldn't be talking to me"

"I don't care."

"How did you get hold of Catherine's phone?"

"She's on a case and it fell out of her bag as she left the lab. I failed to tell her."

"You stole it?"

"I failed to tell her that's all"

Sara could hear the lightness in his voice, perhaps his attempt to make things less then they actually were. She refused to fall for it, even though she knew that it took Grissom an awful lot of courage to call her like this, considering the current circumstances.

"What do you want Grissom?"

"To make sure that you know my side of this"

"Why should I listen? You didn't listen to me when I said I was innocent"

"I've had time to think"

"It's been almost two days Grissom. Shorter then your usual thinking time frame"

"I'm under a little more pressure then normal"

"What and I'm not?"

"I didn't say that"

"They can trace this call, you know that right? In fact I would not be surprised if they were with you right now, urging you to keep me talking"

"I'm alone Sara"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I need you to"

"Where were you when I needed you to know that I was innocent? You're not the victim in this Grissom, I am"

"What else am I meant to think? You had a motive and your prints were all over the knife"

"You know me Grissom. That should have been enough"

"Nobody truly knows anybody"

"Well I haven't hidden anything from you. What you see is what you get. I get the feeling that if it was anybody else you would be fighting tooth and nail to prove their innocence. It's sad that you were more then willing to throw me to the wolves"

"Sara, it's not as black and white as you think it is. I would never hurt you"

"Well you have. I never thought that I would ever be in the position to question you Grissom but here I am"

"Sara I-"

"I have to go. Thanks for nothing Grissom, I appreciate the support"

"Sara-"

She hung up the phone before he finished his sentence. She didn't want to hear his voice anymore; it hurt far too much to deal with it right now. She placed the phone on the table beside. She made herself more comfortable on the sofa before allowing herself to cry for the first time since all this had started. She had never felt so scared before and the one person that she had always counted on was the one that was causing all this pain. How could Shelton, even in death, destroy all that she had worked for?

* * *

Grissom stared at the phone, much in the way that Catherine had hours earlier, not quite able to cut off his only connection to Sara. She was hurt, scared and confused he heard it all in her voice. And he had caused it without doing anything more then following the evidence. He had never been in the position of doubting what he had been taught or how he had lived his professional career but now he was. Was there a possibility that Sara had been right? That the evidence was wrong and she was indeed innocent? Would he fight more for his other team mates then he had for Sara? He liked Sara, admired her and loved how quickly she learnt things but was it enough to disregard everything that he had known for almost his entire life? He sat back further in his seat and thought about the Sara he knew. The one that was a source of endless questions with an almost scary thirst for knowledge. Did he know her in the way that he should. He had known her for so long but how much attention was he really paying to how she did things? He noticed the small snippets of information, liked the way she moved and spoke, the little habits that made her who she was. But what about the most important thing of all? Was she truly capable of killing someone? He would have never thought so but he had been wrong before. He was torn between two of the most important things in his life and he had better chose because soon the battle would be over and he needed to know what side was more important to him: Sara or the evidence? Only one of them could win and it was a question of what would he be more willing to give up? The woman he had always liked and admired or the teachings that made more sense to him then anything else in his world? 


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N - I finally finished the finaly chapter last night so you have two more to go before this is finally put to bed. So read, review and tell me what you think of this one!_

Chapter Eight – Inhuman

That was how Hank found her when he finally returned home from work. He was covered in sweat and he was certain that there was blood somewhere on his uniform but his concerns from the day went out the window when he saw Sara curled on the sofa, her body shaking. Hank dumped his bag on the ground and crouched down beside her.

"Sara, what's wrong?"

Sara moved on the sofa and faced him, her cheeks streaked with tears and flushed a brilliant red.

"Grissom called me."

"Why?"

"To explain himself."

"What is there to explain? He thinks that you are capable of murder"

"Exactly what I said."

Hank waited until she had moved up the sofa a little more before taking a seat beside her.

"Why do you let him treat you like that Sara? He's been doing that since the day you met him"

"Treat me like what?"

"He dismisses you, disrespects you and acts as if you are nothing at all to him. You deserve much better then that Sara"

"You treated me like that too Hank, don't be hypocritical"

"Sara, you and I…we were something different. I hurt you and you will never know just how sorry I am for what I did but you and I would never have had what you and Grissom do"

Sara smiled at him.

"We have nothing Hank. I don't know if you missed this but he accused me of murder. That is pretty much the end of our relationship as far as I am concerned."

"He sees you for what you are, not the way the rest of the world does. I've seen the way he looks at you Sara and it's not the same way he looks at the others. You are his and you don't even realize it"

"No I'm not"

"Yes you are Sara! Stop being so goddamn stubborn and see it for what it is will you? He likes you."

"So what if he does? He just lost whatever chance he thought that he could ever have. The ultimate way to insult someone ladies and gentleman, is to accuse them of murder."

Hank heaved a heavy sigh.

"He doesn't see any way out of this then?"

"Short of a firing squad, no"

"So you are all alone on this?"

"I have you and Catherine. At the moment, that's all I care to risk. In fact it's more then I care to risk."

"We chose to help you Sara. A small concept that I like to call freewill."

"I need a plan."

"Check out the parents"

Sara raised her eyebrows at him.

"You want me to go and talk to the people that concealed my rape?"

"They may have information"

"I have to grovel to get my life back. Oh, how the mighty have fallen"

"You weren't so great in the first place so I think you can relax"

Hank laughed when she boxed him in the arm, trying to keep the light hearted mood at the level it was. But it was too late. Her mind was already working furiously, trying to figure out a way to approach Wendy and Jonathon Wayne without looking as hopeless as she felt.

* * *

The next day Sara called Catherine and reviewed the plan that she had concocted through yet another sleepless night. She had gone into Hank's bed again and for once was grateful that there was no longer anything between them. He had hugged her and told her that it would all be ok and she had watched him drift to sleep. She had forgotten how comforting he could be when she was upset but it still felt so odd to allow someone to be there for her. She had just managed to let Grissom in and look what had happened. She also had plenty of time to think about what Hank had said about her being Grissom's. She had never seen him looking at her any differently then he did the others but she knew that he watched all of them, so that could mean nothing at all. Maybe Hank was just being overprotective. 

"Catherine, I need to ask you a question"

"Sure"

Sara paused, trying to form the words in her head so that she didn't sound like some school girl with a crush.

"Does Grissom look at me differently?"

"What do you mean?"

"In a way that may suggest something more?"

The silence that followed was all that Sara needed. He did. And if Catherine had noticed, then the entire world had.

"Sara, you need to talk to him"

"I already have"

"When?"

"He stole your phone and called me yesterday"

Sara smiled when Catherine swore and muttered under her breath, the words barely audible down the phone line.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much. I just want to get this over with as soon as possible."

"I know but you need to hang in there. Go over to the Wayne's house and talk to his parents, you never know what you may find out"

"I will and thanks again Cath. Its nice to know that someone is rooting for me"

"We all are. Call me as soon as you are done ok?"

"Ok. Bye"

"Bye"

Sara hung up the phone and placed it in her pocket and headed out the door. It was nice to have a purpose again, even if that purpose made you feel sick to the stomach.

* * *

Wendy Wayne had always terrified Sara more then Jonathan Wayne ever could. She chalked it up to the cold silences that followed the woman around. She hardly spoke at all and when she did, she whispered like a fragile child. Jonathan Wayne on the other hand, boomed his opinions and views loud enough for the entire country to hear. They were quite a happy, mismatched pair. Sara stood at the big iron gates far a good ten minutes before she had finally gathered enough courage to be buzzed in. She was greeted at the front door by the maid and was ushered into a small sunny room that was just to the left of the main entrance. She ignored that pictures of Shelton that stood proudly on almost every surface, settling for looking at her hands. 

"Sara Sidle. I never thought that we would meet again"

Jonathan stood over her, just as he had always done but Sara felt a small amount of pride as she looked him directly in the eye, not feeling the old fear that she had had all those years ago. Wendy gave her a quick once over before sitting beside her husband. They eyes each other warily before Jonathon spoke again.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to know that I didn't kill your son."

Sara watched as the couple exchanged a quick look. What had she missed?

"The evidence said that you did"

"Evidence can be wrong Mr. Wayne and I am proof of that fact. I did not kill your son"

The same look was exchanged and Sara fought that overwhelming urge to shake them that pushed against her ribs.

"What are you hiding?"

They turned their eyes back to her, suddenly filled with forced innocence.

"Nothing."

"So if you think that I am the woman that killed your son, then why are you allowing me to even be in your house?"

They exchanged another look before Wendy too her husband elbow.

"Excuse us"

Sara watched them walk out of the room, her senses on full alert. What had she just stumbled upon? They were hiding something the problem was she had no idea what it could be. She thought for a few more minutes going over possible conclusions but they were back too quickly for her to draw any real solutions.

"Miss Sidle, you should have never gotten involved"

"In what?"

"In this. You could have walked away."

"How? I was arrested for a murder that I did not commit! How do you walk away from that?"

Wendy spoke for the second time for the duration of this meeting.

"We can make this disappear, Miss Sidle"

"And how would you do that Wendy?"

"If you confess to our son's murder, we will make it as easy as possible for you. Set you up in a soft prison, single cell and organize luxuries for you that you would not get normally"

"What!"

"Confess and we will make sure that you live comfortably for the rest of your life."

Sara, despite her instinct to defend her innocence and integrity, she knew that this would entail another meeting. And another plan"

"I need to think about this"

Jackson nodded and stood, offering Sara his hand.

"Please do because this is an offer of a lifetime and it will not be extended again"

Sara nodded, shook his hand and left the house. She only began to breath again when she was in Hank's car. She had a feeling that this mystery had just become much more complicated. She started the car and drove further down the road before picking up her phone and started to call Catherine. She needed to know this and Sara needed to ask one last favour before finally being able to put the whole thing to bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine – Ordinary Vanity

Two days later, Sara arrived back at the Wayne residents, only this time she was more then prepared. Catherine had more then fulfilled the favour that she had asked of her and she had Sara decked out in all that she needed to record the conversation right down to the tiny little camera that was attached to her front button. She was ready. She rung the bell and was once again greeted by the maid and led into the same room that she had been in previously. Wendy and Jackson were already sitting on the large sofa, and Sara took their cue and sat down across from them.

"Have you considered our deal Miss Sidle?"

"Yes but first I want to know something"

"We need your answer first"

"Fine, I'll take it. As soon as we are done here, I'll turn myself in"

"We would rather call the police ourselves"

"Fine. Now you need to answer my question"

"And what would that be?"

"Who killed Shelton?"

Wendy glanced at her husband before beginning to speak in her normal, eerie voice.

"Have you ever had a child Miss Sidle?"

Sara knew that they already knew the answer to that but she answered anyway.

"No."

"So you have no idea what its like to love something so much that it even sometimes hurts. Our love for Shelton was like that. We did everything we could to give him the life that we felt he deserved. Unfortunately, we never had the ability to make him healthy."

"What do you mean by healthy?"

"He was sick Miss Sidle. His brain didn't work like normal people. He had no idea what was right and wrong"

"Which is why he raped me"

"And why we had to protect him. I certainly didn't want people judging my son for something that he could not help."

"There are all sorts of ways he could have been helped Wendy. Pills and institutes that would help him become normal"

"We tried it all Miss Sidle"

"So, why did he come back to Vegas?"

"We invited him. We had to get him away from temptation"

"What temptation?"

Wendy looked at the floor, unable to raise her eyes to meet Sara's.

"He was living in Texas. He was happy and even had a small job to help him try to get into some sort of routine. The doctors said that routine was good for people like him"

"What happened?"

"A new family moved in next to him. A single mother with a eleven year old daughter. He broke into their house a week later and raped both of them."

"How did he get off of that?"

"He's mentally unstable. That's how he got off"

"And then he came back here. So to make the long answer much shorter, who killed your son?"

Wendy once again glanced at her husband and frowned at Sara.

"We did"

"You?"

"Technically anyway. We hired someone to kill him and make it look like you did it. I know that it is hardly moral but as you may already know, that does not concern us."

"You framed me for something you did? I've lost my life, my career and my friends all for this?"

"There was a reason behind it, if that makes you feel any better"

"What was that? You didn't like his new hair cut?"

"He was getting more and more out of control. This was the only way to help him"

Sara could not find the words to portray her disgust at what Wendy had just said. They had killed their own son. Hired someone to kill their only child just because he was getting worse. Sara was wrong when she thought she had seen and heard everything. This was the ultimate act of betrayal and as cold hearted as any death could be. Jackson watched her carefully as he picked up the phone and dialed 911. He relayed his information to the operator and then hung up, smiling at her.

"You will not regret this Miss Sidle. I am sure that when you do finally get out of prison, you will be able to find work somewhere."

Sara could already hear the sirens that were speeding towards them but she fought the urge to flee. This was it. She had to face her team now, be questioned by Brass and watch as her career was obliterated. Brass came through the door first, gun drawn.

"Sara, put your hands behind your back"

Sara offered no fight and remained silent as she was cuffed and dragged out of the house to the waiting police car. It was only when she was tucked securely inside that she finally spoke.

"Call Catherine"

Brass threw her a confused look but radioed in the request anyway. Sara sat back and waited for the longest trip in the world to be over.

* * *

When they finally arrived at the police station it was to a sight that she thought that she would never see. Each one of her team members sat on one of the hard plastic seats, heads down, staring at their hands. The only one that looked at her was Catherine. Without a word, she followed Brass and Sara to the interview room. Brass looked a little put out as she sat beside Sara.

"You a lawyer now Cath?"

"Not but you want to see this"

Catherine reached under Sara's jacket and began undoing all the electrical equipment that was taped to her skin. It took a good ten minutes before she finally placed the information on the table before them.

"Uncuff Sara and go and watch the movie that critics are raving about"

Brass frowned but did as he was told, shaking his head as he left the room. Catherine pulled her into a tight hug as soon as the door was closed.

"I'm so glad you're ok"

"Thanks to you. I don't know what I would have done if everyone had jumped on the Sara-is-guilty band wagon"

Catherine smiled.

"You know me I like to go against the majority."

"Well, thank you for being different"

"I'm sorry Sara."

"For what?"

"For this entire situation. Shelton has cost you your career"

"It's amazing that even though he is dead he's still ruining everything good in my life"

"Once Brass sees that tape, you'll be cleared."

"Then I need to talk to Ecklie. Grovel for my job back. I'm not quite ready to give it up without trying to gain some ground back"

Catherine smiled and the two women slipped into silence as they waited for the detectives return. When he finally did reappear, it was with a sigh.

"The tape….it's unsecured evidence, you know that right?"

"Yes"

"And you know that it may not hold up in court?"

"Yes"

"And you realize how sorry I am about this?"

Sara gave him a bright smile, leaning over the table to rest her hands over his.

"You were doing your job Jim; I can't hate you for that."

"But you can hate me for not believing you"

"Jim, if I hated everyone for that, I would have lost all my friends. Just tell me I'm free to go"

"Sara, you're free to go"

Sara continued to smile as she stood and after a moments thought leaned over again and kissed Jim on the cheek. Catherine, her arm around her, led her from the room and out of the station.

Sara had never been so happy to be back in the lab. She was attacked by Greg as soon as her foot hit the tiled floors. He pulled her into a hug, his face flushed.

"IknewyouwereinnocentbutnobodywouldlistentomeandIamsogladthatyou'rebackSarawemissedyou"

Sara took his shoulders and gave him a little shake.

"Slow down Greggo. Now what did you just say?"

Greg took a deep breath and started again, this time slower.

"I knew you were innocent but nobody would listen to me. I am so glad that you're back I've missed you"

"I've missed you too Greg. Nice to see that you didn't burn the place down while I was away"

"I thought I would wait until you got back"

"How considerate of you"

"I thought so"

Greg remained at her side as the trio made their way down the corridors, Sara feeling like some sort of celebrity when lab techs burst into applause as they walked past the various stations. She realized that she wasn't as alone as she thought she had been. Her friends, her family had believed in her. She paused for a moment outside of Ecklie's office door before knocking sharply, suddenly grateful that Catherine and Greg were with her.

"Enter"

Sara went first, the other two trailing behind her. Ecklie said nothing as the three took seats across from him.

"I just got an interesting phone call from Jim Brass."

"So you know what I did then?"

"Yes and as much as I admire your intelligence Sidle, I think that was your stupidest move yet. The evidence you collected is unsecured and dangerous."

"But it's the truth. Jim will get them talking"

"Even if he does, without the name of the man that killed their son, they will not be charged."

"That is not my concern. Mine is to clear my name"

"You want to try for you job as well, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I worked hard for my job and I am not about to lose it"

"I need to speak to my boss's about that so you may need to wait a little while before a conclusion is drawn."

"Fine"

"And just so you know, you did not need to get your job back by having Detective Brass threatening me"

"He threatened you?"

"With a never ending supply of parking tickets among other things"

Sara began to laugh, she couldn't help it. She could hardly believe that Ecklie was scared of Brass. But then again while Ecklie was fill of nothing but empty air, Jim delivered whatever he promised. That was one of the reason's Sara liked him so much, he always followed through with things. Catherine began laughing with Sara and soon Greg was as well. Big fat tears rolled down their cheeks as they clutched each other, unable to breathe. It took a few minutes before they had collected themselves together and left Ecklie's office. Catherine and Greg peeled off to the break room as Sara headed to Grissom's office, knocking sharply on the door. When no answer came she let herself in. Grissom wasn't there but his desk could barely be seen under the piles of paper work that decorated it. She moved around the desk and satin his seat, looking at the paper work. It was the Shelton Wayne case. Every single piece of paper was to do with her and the evidence that had been collected after Shelton's murder. There were notes all over the pages, she had no idea what he was trying to prove with them, whether it was her innocence or her guilt.

"He hasn't slept since this whole mess started."

Sara looked up at the comment and found herself face to face with Nick.

"So what did you think? Guilty or not guilty?"

Nick frowned as he took a seat across from her.

"I was never sure."

"So you heard from Cath?"

"Yes. Greg has been zipping around telling anyone who would stand still long enough. You shouldn't be so hard on Grissom, Sara"

"He thought I was guilty"

"He was following the evidence Sara, that's what he's meant to do. A good CSI does that"

"It hurt"

"It hurt him as well. You need to give him a break"

"Where is he?"

"I have no idea"

Nick stood and moved towards the door, pausing for a moment.

"Welcome back Sara"

She watched him leave before sinking further into Grissom's seat.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N - Everytime I finish a story and send it off to the wrold of cyber readers, I wonder if this is how my mother felt when each of her daughters moved out. I feel sad that this is the last chapter but happy at the same time. Depressing concept! So please reveiw and tell me what you think. I want to thank you all for the support and I want you all to know just how much I love writing for you and I promise that I wil keep writing until I hit my one hundreth story. Even then, I am unlikely to stop!_

Chapter Ten – That Thing You Do

Sara had another two weeks off before she got the phone call from Ecklie, allowing her back to work. She felt relieved that at least that part of her life was sorted and she could start all over again.

"So you're going back, huh?"

She nodded as she took her seat next to Hank, who was finishing his third slice of pizza.

"Yup. Apparently, Jim had a few more words with him and Ecklie changed his mind. I guess it is always good to stay on the right side of the law."

Hank nodded as he chewed thoughtfully.

"Have you talked to Grissom yet?"

"No"

"You need to. He's not a bad guy"

Sara rolled her eyes at Hank.

"This coming from the very guy that dissed Grissom just forty eight hours ago"

"You know what I think?"

"How could I? You change your mind more then I do"

He smiled at her.

"You like him as much as he likes you"

"For God sake, he's Grissom! He's my boss"

"So? Even I've slept with my boss before. It's not a big deal"

"Hank, I'm not like that. As boring as this may sound to a stud like you, I want to be in a relationship. I want to have a marriage and a family"

"I know that Sara. I want you to have that as well. But have you ever considered the fact that you could do that with Grissom?"

"Grissom?"

"The one and only Gil Grissom. Have you ever considered a future with him?"

"I cannot believe that I am talking about my nonexistent love life with you."

"Why not? We're friends aren't we?"

"But you once accused me of cheating on you with Grissom"

"That was the past, this is now. You need to have a life Sara and Grissom may just be it"

"That's depressing. My life rests on the shoulders of a man who works his fingers to the nub"

"He's not so bad Sara. He likes you and even though you deny it, you like him back"

"You make me sound like some sort of pathetic school girl."

"The jury is still out on that."

Sara slapped him on the arm and felt nothing but relief when Hank jumped to the topic of who was going to get rid of the now empty pizza box.

* * *

Nick pressed his face close to Sara's, putting on his most seductive tone as he spoke.

"Come on Sara. You need to do this"

"No I don't. This is not on my to do list"

"Oh you know it is. This is something you can't afford to miss"

Sara sighed and pushed her paperwork aside.

"If I say yes, will you let me finish this?"

"Yes"

"Well in that case, yes."

Nick moved away and sat back in his seat, his face pulled into a satisfied smile.

"Good"

"So what exactly have I agreed to?"

"Going to Blue Moon"

"And what exactly is that?"

"A club."

"Who's playing?"

"Well, do you remember Geoffrey?"

"The lab tech that used to run with Ronnie?"

"That's him. He left the lab"

"Why? he was a good lab tech"

"He decided that his music was far more important to him. His band has been signed with Red Phoenix"

"The music label?"

"The very one. His band is playing their last gig before heading off on a tour of Europe."

"Wow, that's huge. What's their band called?"

"Luminol"

Sara smiled and shook her head.

"Typical. So their going to be big huh?"

"They already are. They released their first CD and got nothing but good reviews."

"I never knew that"

"Which is why you need to go out more often"

"Who else is coming?"

"Everyone. We all liked Geoffrey and intend to embarrass him by cheering as loud as we can"

"Ok. What should I wear?"

Nick flashed her a grin as he moved to leave the room.

"Something sexy. You're my date, you have to match me"

Sara threw a cushion as him but all it did was hit the door frame and fall harmlessly to the floor.

* * *

She was as nervous as she would feel on a first date. This would be the first time in a long time that the whole team had been together and this was going to be difficult. She still had no idea if her outfit was ok but she hoped that it was what was required for the club that they were going to. A blood red camisole, dark jeans, black boots and her leather jacket pulled the whole thing together. Nick picked her up a little while later, complimenting her outfit with a low wolf whistle. He looked pretty damn good himself in a soft white shirt and jeans. They drove to the club and Nick offered her his arm as he guided her into the club. It was the same as so many others that she had been in over the years, only the music was louder and there were a lot more tables. He took her hand and they moved their way in and out of the young crowd that represented Luminol's fan base. When she was settled in the booth, Nick fished out his wallet.

"What do you want?"

"Beer would be great"

"Coming right up"

Sara watched him disappear into the crowd and sat back and waited. She was dreading seeing Grissom again. She didn't know what she was going to say to him and had no idea what he was going to say to her. She wished that she had just told Nick no, wished that she had just stayed home. But she also knew that some part of her wanted to see Grissom, he had been a part of her life for so long that it felt odd not to see him everyday.

"Hello Sara"

She almost jumped when she saw Grissom had slipped beside her.

"Grissom"

"May I sit?"

She nodded and he slipped into the booth beside her, taking off his coat and putting it over his lap. An uncomfortable silence fell and Sara ignored his body heat that was pressing into her body, making her skin tingle. Like an answer to a prayer, Nick came swooping through the crowd, two beers in his hands. He placed them on the table and gave Grissom a wide grin.

"Hey boss. Do you want a drink?"

"Sit down Nick, I'll get it myself. I like to make sure that they don't water it down anyway"

Nick did as he was told and Sara began to breathe again as Grissom left his seat to get his own drink.

"You looked flushed Sara"

"I do?"

"Yup. You also look like you would rather be anywhere but here"

"You have no idea"

"Just promise me one thing"

"What's that?"

"You'll try to have fun and please give Grissom a break"

"That's two requests"

"Please Sara, humor me"

"Fine"

Nick put his smile back on as Grissom came back to the table, taking his seat next to Sara. Nick tried to make light conversation and he managed to make it work until Warrick, Catherine and arrived and soon after the did, the lights dimmed and the crowd started to go wild. Sara had to smile when Grissom winced beneath the pressure of the screams. As soon a the MC came to the microphone, the crowd lowered to a dim roar and fell into silence as he began to speak.

"Welcome to Blue Moon folks. I know that there is only one reason that you are all here, so I won't waste your time with too many details. This is the last time that they will play in the good old USA folks so enjoy it. These guys are going to make it big, so please help me welcome, Luminol!"

Sara stood with the team and applauded with the rest of the crowd as Luminol took to the stage. Geoffrey waved at them and approached the microphone and Sara was shocked at just how quickly the silence fell.

"Thank you all for being here tonight. We will miss the support that we have gotten over the years and I hope that you enjoy the show tonight."

The applause started again and Geoffrey raised his hands for silence.

"I also want to take a moment to thank some of my old friends that are here tonight. As most of you know, I used to work at a lab and left to make music. So thank you Grissom, Sara, Nick, Warrick, Catherine and Greg for being here tonight. Your drinks are to go on my tab guys, no questions ask. Right, lets play some music! We're going to do a number of covers tonight, plus just for you, two yet to be released tracks. Lets rock!"

Suddenly the room was filled with a heavy bass and jarring bodies. Warrick tugged Catherine's hand and they were on the dance floor, their bodies jarring with the rest of them.

Ain't gonna hang around till there's nobody dancing  
I don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans, alright!

Sitting still was far from Greg's style and all too soon he was tugging on Sara's hand, ignoring her protests as he dragged her out onto the dance floor. Sara was more then aware of Grissom's eyes on her but she tried to ignore him as Greg tried to put her into an elaborate little spin, almost managing to knock her off her feet. She was having fun and she was suddenly glad that she came.

Gonna take her home cause she's over romancing  
Don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans alright!

Cold hard bitch  
Just a kiss on the lips  
And I was on my knees  
I'm waiting give me  
Cold hard bitch  
She was shakin' her hips  
And I that was all that I need  
I'm waiting give me  
Cold hard bitch  
Just a kiss on the lips  
And I was on my knees

Yeah I'm waiting  
Yeah I'm waiting  
Yeah I'm waiting  
Yeah I'm waiting

The song ended with a large drum slam and the crowd roared their approval. Geoffrey gave a slight bow before waving them into silence.

"This is a new song that I wrote recently. I was having a hard time dealing with a death in the family. I hope that you enjoy it"

The crowd stopped moving watching closely as Geoffrey pulled up a stool and slowly began strumming his guitar, the drums softly keeping the rhythm. Greg pulled Sara into a loose embrace and she rested her chin on his shoulder, her eyes closed

_I lay on the ground,_

_The wet grass beneath me,_

_Tracing my palms with silver tips_

_I watch the stars dart past,_

_Going somewhere I cannot_

_Past the moon and forward through the black sky_

_When darkness falls,_

_I find myself_

_Within my soul the stars sing_

_Wondering what the day may bring_

_The hardships that may come_

_Before darkness falls again_

_It's in the dark that my thoughts drift_

_To places that my body cannot_

_Over troubled seas and to distant lands_

_With different sunsets and rises_

_It is here, I am able to make my plans_

When she opened her eyes and glanced at their table, Nick was talking to Grissom but he wasn't paying attention, he was watching her carefully as she moved around the dance floor by Greg. She lowered her eyes, she wasn't ready for that look yet, she wasn't ready to confront him over what had happened between them. He had hurt her and she hated him for it. But for the life of her, she could not hate him when he looked at her the way he was. His eyes were full of regret and sorrow and she hated to think that she was the reason for that sorrow.

_When darkness falls,_

_I find myself_

_Within my soul the stars sing_

_Wondering what the day may bring_

_The hardships that may come_

_Before darkness falls again_

_So take me away, to where my dreams lie_

_Take me away from the pressures of life_

_So that when darkness falls_

_I can disappear again_

_When darkness falls,_

_I find myself_

_Within my soul the stars sing_

_Wondering what the day may bring_

_The hardships that may come_

_Before darkness falls again_

The song ended and Sara was surprised when Grissom stood and moved to the stage. He said something to Geoffrey and took the place behind the microphone. He cleared his throat and waited until the crowd was looking at him, his team included in the curious looks.

"Hello everyone. I'm sorry for interrupting the evening but Geoffrey here owed me a favour and I decided to finally collect"

A small ripple of laughter went through the crowd before Grissom continued.

"I have made a huge mistake recently and I want to make amends for my stupidity. A beautiful young woman I work with was accused of murder and instead of believing her when she claimed innocence; I chose to think of her as guilty. Sara, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I hope that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me and we can go back to the way we were."

Grissom stepped off the stage and paused in front of Sara before heading out of the club. It took a moment for Sara to decide before she followed him, ignoring the looks that she got as she weaved through the crowd.

"Grissom."

He stopped mid-step and turned to her.

"Grissom, what you said-"

"It was called for Sara. I should have believed you."

"Grissom, you did what you thought you had too"

"I hurt you"

Sara moved closer to him, smiling softly.

"You are right Grissom. You hurt me but I don't want to keep hating you for what you did. I can't lose you Grissom. I forgive you and I hope that you can forgive me for holding a grudge for far too long"

Grissom reached up and brushed a small strand of hair off her face, tracing her jaw with his thumb.

"How about we go inside and dance?"

Sara nodded and made the daring move of taking Grissom's hand and leading him back into the club. A new song was starting up and it took them a moment before they came together, somewhat shyly, putting their arms around each other.

I've found out a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear

I've found out a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is You

_and the reason is You_

I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know

I've found out a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you

All too soon the song had ended but instead of pulling away, Grissom pulled her closer and continued swaying her on the floor. The songs kept changing, from slow to fast but Sara had no idea that they were, she was too busy enjoying being in Grissom's arms.

"So, am I forgiven?"

Sara moved her head from his shoulder to look into his eyes.

"You are more then forgiven."

"I really am sorry for not helping you"

"That's ok, Catherine was there to help"

"It should have been me. All that help and support should have come from me. I'm your boss, I'm your friend. I-"

"Mean more to me then you'll ever know. Now please stop apologizing. You are forgiven and let's leave it at that"

Grissom shook his head slightly and pulled her even closer to him.

"There is one more thing that I need to do"

"What?"

Grissom took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Sara pulled back, frowning.

"What are you doing?"

Grissom looked confused, his hands dropping to his sides.

"I thought…I don't know what I thought"

Sara smiled as she took his hands in hers and placed them back on her cheeks. Grissom frowned.

"What are you doing?"

"Just stand still and enjoy"

This time Sara made the move pressing her lips to his, deepening the kiss. Grissom put his arms around her and they began to sway, their bodies and lips locked together.

"This too weird"

Catherine gave Greg a wide smile.

"It's good Greg. In fact, it is more then good. This is what they both needed"

Greg shook his head.

"It may be good for them, not so good for my stomach"

"Greg, there is a pretty blonde over there giving you the eye. Why don't you go over and see if you can get yourself a little action?"

"And I'm out"

Greg slipped from the booth and Catherine sighed happily. Things could only get better from here. She didn't really notice Warrick; she was too busy focusing on Grissom and Sara. She almost jumped out of her skin when he spoke softly in her ear.

"Want to dance?"

She nodded at him and he took her hand and led her on the dance floor, yet another slow, soft melody filling the club. Catherine had trouble catching her breath as her body pressed against Warrick's, feeling like some sort of giddy school girl. She looked around the room at her fellow team mates and smiled. Maybe there was such a thing as a happy ending.

_So you think you've got it figured out?_

_Well I have news for you_

_Life throws you a curve ball_

_And you find yourself falling through_

_But give me a reason_

_Something simple to do_

_I'll see that I do my best_

_To try and catch you_

_I look at you and see_

_The reason that I need you_

_You make more then I can be_

_Alone_

_So give me a reason to be here_

_To be your safety when you fall_

_Because without you_

_I am nothing at all_

_Car crashes and storms_

_Death and destruction_

_God created these as the norms_

_But He crafted you from gold_

_Simple and solid_

_And when I look at you_

_I'm completely sold_

_I look at you and see_

_The reason that I need you_

_You make me more then I can be_

_Alone_

_So give me a reason to be here_

_To be your safety when you fall_

_Because without you_

_I am nothing at all_

_Look into my eyes_

_And see the truth there_

_You make me who I am_

_Who I want to be_

_Only with you_

_Am I truly set free_


End file.
